


Bronze

by Aniimone



Series: Metal [3]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Assassins & Hitmen, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Engagement, F/M, Gangs, Graphic Description, M/M, Murder, Old Affiliations, Serious Injuries, Smut, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-04
Updated: 2017-11-26
Packaged: 2019-01-29 13:15:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12631800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aniimone/pseuds/Aniimone
Summary: The former assassins Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha’s adventures continue in this winter-themed work! With their full pardons, will they choose to reveal their identities to their friends, or will they keep trying to hide their pasts?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Updates on Saturdays!

Naruto steps off the plane and catches sight of Sasuke. He starts sneaking up to him, but Sasuke turns around with that damn smirk.

“Hey, Naruto,” he greets.

Naruto swears and wraps him up in a hug. They kiss and Naruto lets him go.

“Let me get my suitcase,” he says.

Naruto retrieves it from the carousel and they catch a train to a stop near Sasuke’s apartment. Naruto sets his bags down in the entry hall with his shoes and follows Sasuke through the place. It’s small and tidy with white walls. Sasuke has a photo of him and Naruto from the cherry blossom festival back in Spring hung up on the wall, and Naruto grins at it. Sasuke offers him tea and they sit down in Sasuke’s living room.

“What’s with you and these really nice houses?” Naruto asks, looking around. “How much money do you have?”

“Probably more than you. I used to take contracts for an average of about $65,000 per kill, more or less depending on the target,” Sasuke admits. “With an average of five kills per year over eleven years, that’s approximately 3.6 million dollars. Subtract average living and travel costs, then add my half of my parents’ inheritance. I have about four million to my name right now.”

Naruto whistles.

The two former assassins sit down and make small talk about how and what they’ve been doing. Naruto is in his third year of university and Sasuke is still in his second, due to the difference between the school year in Japan and America. Naruto still hasn’t told his friends what he used to do, and neither has Sasuke.

“My friends are eager to meet you, but I have postponed that until you adjust to the time difference,” Sasuke says. “We have lunch with them the day after tomorrow.”

“Yeah, I’m still feeling like it’s seven am even though it’s six in the afternoon,” Naruto claims.

Sasuke smirks.

“I have class tomorrow, but you can go around the city if you want to. I have a feeling you’ll want to sleep in, though.”

“Hey bastard, not everyone hates mornings,” Naruto retorts.

“Obviously.”

Naruto grins.

~+~+~+~+~

Sasuke comes home at four the next day and finds Naruto asleep in Sasuke’s bed. He wakes Naruto up with a soft kiss pressed to his forehead. Naruto smiles up at him lazily.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” Naruto greets.

“It’s four pm,” Sasuke replies, smirking.

Naruto chuckles.

“Am I meeting your friends tomorrow, then?” he asks.

Sasuke nods.

Naruto hums and grabs Sasuke’s collar. He pulls him into a kiss. When Sasuke pulls back, he tells Naruto to get up and dress nicely, because they’re going out to dinner.

“Sasuke, I just woke up, it’s breakfast,” Naruto whines.

“Not at four in the afternoon when I haven’t had lunch,” Sasuke retorts, leaving the room.

Naruto sticks his tongue out at Sasuke’s back and gets up. He showers in Sasuke’s bathroom and puts on black slacks and a white, collared button-up. He leaves the top two buttons open. He rolls the sleeves up to his elbows and leaves the room. Sasuke is already dressed in a similar outfit, with his shirt tucked in and black suspenders completing his look. He looks up at Naruto from his seat on the couch and Naruto grins.

“Like what you see?” he taunts.

Sasuke hums, his eyes narrowing slightly, smirking.

“From the way you’re looking at me, I assume you feel the same way,” he replies.

Naruto’s grin widens.

“It’ll be nice to get out of these stuffy clothes tonight, won’t it?”

Sasuke meets his gaze again and crosses his ankle over his knee.

“Indeed. Shall we go?”

Naruto follows Sasuke out to the parking garage. Sasuke leads him to a jet black Aston Martin.

Naruto huffs an ironic laugh. Sasuke looks at him.

“Fucking rich kid,” Naruto teases.

Sasuke smirks.

“Sorry I don’t want to lower myself to a _Toyota Corolla_.”

“Hey, my baby’s fine, dattebayo! She works!”

“Oh, this car works just fine,” Sasuke assures him. “Now get in.”

Naruto grumbles something under his breath and steps into the passenger seat. Sasuke starts the car and Naruto huffs. They pull out of the parking garage and eventually park in front of a beautiful restaurant called, “Konohagakure”. Sasuke translates it for Naruto as, “The Village Hidden in the Leaves”.

They step inside and are seated at a two-person table in the back of the restaurant. They order drinks and then their food, talking little. At the end of their meal, after their server takes their plates away and Sasuke has asked for the check, Sasuke breaks the semi-silence.

“Naruto, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask. It may be… too much, but… I would like to spend the rest of my life with you,” Sasuke says.

“What do you mean, -ttebayo?” Naruto asks.

“After both of us have our degrees, I would like to marry you,” Sasuke tells him.

He takes a small box out of his pocket and opens it. Naruto gasps at the two rings inside.

“Sasuke, are you serious?” he asks.

Sasuke nods once.

“Naruto, I’m in love with you. I have been since that night in D.C. You’re probably the only person who won’t see me differently for the things I’ve done, so what do you say?”

“I love you too, dattebayo! Let’s do it,” Naruto replies.

Naruto’s eyes start to water and he sniffs. Sasuke smiles slightly and picks one of the rings out of the box. He reaches out his free hand and Naruto give him his right hand. Sasuke places the ring on Naruto’s ring finger and lets his smile widen slightly when it fits. Naruto beams at him and laughs breathlessly. Then he puts the second ring on Sasuke’s right ring finger. Then Naruto keeps holding Sasuke’s right hand with his own, the golden rings glittering in the candlelight.

“This is so cheesy,” Naruto laughs.

Sasuke chuckles and Naruto’s eyes widen at him. Sasuke’s laugh is bright and clear. It’s more honest than anyone else’s. Naruto stares at him in awe until Sasuke stops laughing and looks at him fondly.

“You’re an idiot,” he says.

Naruto grins so wide it hurts.

“I’m in love,” he replies simply.

Sasuke snorts another laugh and squeezes his hand.

Their server comes back to their table with a smile and the checkbook.

“After that touching scene, the meal’s on the house,” he says.

“Are you sure?” Sasuke asks. “I can pay for it.”

“No, the owner insisted,” the server replies. “Congratulations.”

Sasuke nods and thanks him. He and Naruto get up and leave the restaurant. Naruto flashes the server a smile on the way out, still holding Sasuke’s hand. They get to Sasuke’s car and get in.

“Wait a minute, if you’ve had a car this nice the whole time, why didn’t you pick me up from the airport in it?” Naruto asks, narrowing his eyes at his new fiance.

Sasuke smirks.

“I wanted to surprise you,” he replies. “It wouldn’t have had the same effect when you were exhausted from travelling.”

Naruto scrunches up his nose.

“Bastard,” he says.

Sasuke’s smirk widens.

“Usuratonkachi.”

They step into Sasuke’s car and start driving. When they get back to Sasuke’s apartment and take off their shoes, Sasuke locks the door. Naruto moves towards Sasuke, running his fingers down Sasuke’s suspenders.

“So whose last name are we using?” Naruto asks.

Sasuke huffs, smirking.

“Naruto Uchiha has a nice ring to it, I think,” he claims.

“Doesn’t sound as nice as Sasuke Uzumaki.”

“I disagree,” Sasuke retorts. “Hyphenate?”

“Mine first?” Naruto asks.

“You wish, dobe.”

“Well then, I guess we’ll just have to fight for it,” Naruto tells him.

“To the death?” Sasuke suggests.

“Absolutely, dattebayo!” Naruto replies, grinning.

Sasuke hums and rests his hands on Naruto’s waist, pulling him closer by the belt loops on his slacks.

“Have I told you how good you look dressed up?” he asks.

“Hm, maybe. Not as good as you do, though,” Naruto says softly.

“Obviously,” Sasuke teases.

They close their eyes and tilt their heads, leaning together until their lips meet. The kiss starts out simple and sweet until Naruto pulls on Sasuke’s suspenders. Then Sasuke starts unbuttoning Naruto’s slacks and pushes Naruto against the bar counter between his kitchen and living room. Sasuke sinks to his knees and wastes no time pulling Naruto’s pants and boxers down to the floor and taking him into his mouth. Naruto moans and grips the edge of the marble counter. Sasuke sinks to the base with a hum and Naruto shivers. Sasuke grabs his thighs to keep him in place.

“Sasuke, what are you--?” Naruto gasps.

Sasuke doesn’t respond with words. Instead, he starts to use his tongue, and Naruto chokes off the rest of his sentence.

Sasuke gently squeezes Naruto’s balls and gives the final suck. Naruto moans and cums in Sasuke’s mouth. Sasuke doesn’t pull back until Naruto is finished. Then he looks up at Naruto with lust in his eyes.

“I want to fuck you,” he says.

Naruto gulps, staring down at Sasuke and trying to recollect his neurons. Sasuke’s eyes are dark and heavy-lidded. His hands are on Naruto’s waist and he is still kneeling.

“Fuck, I’m gay,” Naruto murmurs.

Sasuke smirks.

“I thought you were bisexual,” he says.

“I am,” Naruto breathes. “Holy shit, you’re hot, -ttebayo.”

Sasuke narrows his eyes and tilts his head slightly.

“Is that a yes?” he asks.

“Yeah,” Naruto tells him softly.

Sasuke stands up and unbuttons Naruto’s shirt for him. He sheds it onto the counter behind him. Naruto kisses him, pulling him in by the suspenders again.

“Get undressed,” Naruto murmurs against Sasuke’s lips.

Sasuke hums and pulls away, taking Naruto’s hand and leading him to the bedroom. Naruto pins Sasuke against the door once it closes behind them and kisses him again. He unclips the suspenders and untucks Sasuke’s shirt. Then he starts to work on the buttons while Sasuke takes his slacks off. Once both of them are completely undressed, Sasuke pushes Naruto back until he falls on top of Sasuke’s bed. Sasuke crosses the room to the window and closes the blinds. Then he opens his bedside drawer and pulls out the box of condoms and the bottle of lubricant he bought a few days before Naruto’s visit began. He takes one condom out of the box and sets it on the bedside table with the lube, for now. He crawls onto the bed beside Naruto with that same smirk and tells Naruto to turn over. Naruto lies down on his stomach and Sasuke runs his fingers through Naruto’s hair.

“You should get a haircut,” he suggests.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Naruto tells him. “Undercut?”

Sasuke hums and leans over to press a kiss to Naruto’s nape.

“Definitely,” he replies.

Then he runs his fingertips down to Naruto’s ass and squeezes the right cheek. Naruto yelps and turns his head to glare at Sasuke.

“You sure hurried earlier,” he snaps.

Sasuke kisses him on the lips.

“I want this to be as good as our first time,” he says. “Tell me if you want me to stop, or slow down.”

“Right now, I just want you to hurry up,” Naruto retorts.

Sasuke hums and kisses Naruto’s shoulder. He pours some of the lube onto his fingers and starts to massage Naruto’s anus with his left hand while his right explores the muscles and scars on Naruto’s back.

“Get up on your knees,” Sasuke requests softly.

Naruto obliges and Sasuke moves his index finger inside. After a few more minutes, he can move three fingers in Naruto without Naruto wincing, so Sasuke withdraws his hand and tears open the condom. He rolls it on himself and pours some more lubricant on. Then he lines himself up and checks in with Naruto.

“Are you ready?”

“Fuck, just do it, dattebayo!”

Sasuke grits his teeth.

“Please don’t use that word here. It sounds so stupid.”

“Alright, alright, just hurry up!”

Impatient.

Sasuke obliges anyway. He gasps and stops halfway in, afraid he might cum already. He rests his hands on Naruto’s hips and pushes in farther when Naruto prompts him.

This feels so much better than being on the receiving end. This is better than a blowjob or any sex toy. Sasuke takes a moment to collect himself before he pulls back out and slams in again.

Gradually, they pick up the pace, always following Naruto’s requests and moans.

When Sasuke finishes, he all but collapses on Naruto’s back and has to be prompted to move off. Naruto rolls onto his back once Sasuke is lying on the bed, down for the count. Naruto finishes himself off and moans Sasuke’s name when he cums for the second time that night. Sasuke sits up and takes off his condom as Naruto starts coming down from his high. He ties it and throws it away in the wastebasket beside the bed.

“That was amazing,” Sasuke mutters.

Naruto laughs breathlessly.

“You’re filthy,” Sasuke comments, looking at the mess scattered across his new fiance.

Naruto smiles lazily and looks over at Sasuke.

“Sasuke, I love you.”

“I love you too, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke replies.

He has never felt this content in his life.

They end up falling asleep together in Sasuke’s bed.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gotta love supportive friends with ties to the black market, eh?

Naruto wakes up with Sasuke curled into his chest and smiles. He presses a kiss to the top of Sasuke’s head and receives a hum in response. Naruto moves back to kiss Sasuke’s forehead and Sasuke slowly opens his left eye.

“What time is it?” he grumbles.

Naruto checks the clock on Sasuke’s bedside table.

“Almost ten,” he reads.

Sasuke groans and rolls onto his back.

“We’re supposed to meet my friends for lunch at noon,” he claims. “They’re coming over.”

“I guess we should probably get up and shower, then,” Naruto responds.

Sasuke grunts and covers his eyes with his arm. Naruto laughs.

“We can shower together,” he suggests.

“Fine.”

They get up and start getting ready. They shave and brush their teeth together after their shower. Naruto suddenly realizes he didn’t tell his friends that he got engaged, so he convinces Sasuke to take a selfie with him. Sasuke looks exhausted and exasperated, and his hair is a damp mess. Meanwhile, Naruto is grinning with his right hand in front of him, showing off the ring. Both of them are shirtless with bite marks and bruises marring their skin, evidence from last night.

Naruto posts it to Instagram with the caption, “I said yes!”

Within minutes, Hinata sends him her congratulations. Sasuke leaves the bathroom and gets dressed. Naruto follows him.

At 12:04, the buzzer to Sasuke’s apartment rings. He walks over to the speaker by the door.

“Hey Sasuke, open up so we can meet the poor jerk who’s put up with you for so long,” a man says.

Sasuke grits his teeth and presses the talk button.

“His name is Naruto.”

Sasuke opens the door and invites the three people on the other side to come in. The man in front has white hair and unusually sharp teeth. The woman behind him has red hair and glasses, and is wearing short shorts and a purple long-sleeved shirt. The other man has orange hair and is really tall.

Sasuke steps away from the door to let them in. Naruto comes out of the bathroom, smiling cheerfully.

“You must be Naruto,” the big guy greets, extending his hand. “My name is Juugo. Pleased to meet you.”

“Yeah, nice to meet you too, -ttebayo,” Naruto replies, shaking his hand.

“I’m Suigetsu,” the white-haired guy introduces next, waving.

Naruto smiles back.

“Hmph! Sasuke’s mine, you know,” the woman says haughtily, crossing her arms and looking down her nose at Naruto.

He laughs and holds up his right hand.

“This ring says otherwise, Karin,” he tells her.

She gasps and grabs his hand, gaping at the ring.

“When did you two get _married_?!” she exclaims.

“We got _engaged_ yesterday,” Sasuke tells her. “By the way, this man is related to you. So play nice.”

“Related? How?” she asks skeptically, crossing her arms again.

“My mother’s name was Kushina Uzumaki,” Naruto responds.

Her eyes widen.

“Kushina was my aunt’s name,” she admits. “You don’t look like an Uzumaki, though.”

“My father was Minato Namikaze,” he says.

She hums suspiciously and nods once, satisfied.

“If you ever hurt Sasuke, I’ll kill you,” she swears.

“Noted,” Naruto replies.

“I think all three of us would kill you for hurting Sasuke,” Juugo says.

Naruto laughs.

“I’m pretty sure I could handle you all,” he replies. “It’s Sasuke I really wouldn’t want to piss off, dattebayo.”

“Smart choice,” Sasuke tells him, smirking.

“So, where’s lunch?” Suigetsu asks, already looking around Sasuke’s kitchen.

“There’s onigiri on the counter,” Sasuke replies.

“Found it,” Suigetsu replies, picking up two rice balls from the plate near the sink and then going to sit on the couch.

Karin and Juugo grab some next. Then Sasuke and Naruto take some. They sit in the living room as well.

“What’s with you and tomatoes?” Suigetsu asks after he finishes off his first one. “Do you ever cook something without them?”

“They taste good,” Sasuke retorts.

Naruto smiles at him.

“So Naruto, what have you done to handle this asshole for over three years?” Suigetsu asks.

“The distance must help,” Juugo claims.

Naruto laughs.

“No, he’s a bastard for sure, but he has his sweet moments,” Naruto tells them. “Mostly it’s his looks though. I mean, who wouldn’t fall for _that_?”

“You can say that again,” Karin mutters.

“What was that?” Suigetsu asks her.

“N-nothing!” she replies.

The rest of the meal goes well. Suigetsu and Juugo decide they like Naruto after he teases Sasuke about the bite mark Karin noticed, and gets a blush from the usually stoic Uchiha. Karin decides she likes Naruto once Sasuke throws a knife at him after the comment and Naruto ducks, laughing, even when the kunai gets embedded in the chair he is sitting in.

“Where did that even come from?!” Naruto asks, smiling.

Sasuke stares at him, expressionless.

“It was on the coffee table,” he states.

Naruto glances at the table and sees another two knives on top of a small stack of magazines.

“Why do you keep knives in your living room, dattebayo?” Naruto asks.

“Paranoia, mostly,” Sasuke admits with a shrug.

Naruto frowns.

Eventually, the question pops up about how they met. Naruto and Sasuke make eye contact. They still haven’t talked about whether or not they want to tell anyone the truth about them yet.

“We were both in Boston,” Sasuke says.

“For what?” Karin asks.

“A job,” Naruto tells her.

“What kind of job?” Juugo prompts.

They make eye contact again. Naruto nods once. Sasuke sighs and looks back at his friends.

“First, it’s time I told you who I really am,” he claims.

“What do you mean, Sasuke?” Karin asks.

“What do you know of the Uchiha clan?” Sasuke questions, looking each of his friends in the eye.

“Madara Uchiha was a serial killer caught eight months ago, who killed himself before the trial,” Suigetsu says like he’s reading a headline.

“Yes, except it wasn’t suicide,” Sasuke tells him. “My true name is Sasuke Uchiha. Madara was my uncle. He was close to exposing my continued existence at a time when Naruto and I were supposed to be dead.”

“What?” Suigetsu asks.

“I am a former international assassin. I’m 26 years old, and the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan. Eight months ago, Naruto and I were caught by a U.S. FBI agent named Sakura Haruno, who recruited us to kill my older brother Itachi. In return, we were granted a full pardon for our past crimes by both the Japanese and American presidents,” Sasuke states.

“Then, who the hell are you?” Karin asks Naruto.

“Naruto Uzumaki. What I’ve told you about myself so far has all been true,” he replies. “I am also 26, and a former international assassin.”

“Holy shit,” Suigetsu murmurs. “You’re both professional killers.”

“Used to be. We quit after we killed Itachi,” Naruto tells him. “If we kill anyone for profit any time later in life, we’ll be put on trial for it, -ttebayo.”

“You said you two were supposed to be dead?” Juugo asks.

Sasuke nods.

“We faked our deaths to escape Sakura and a man named Orochimaru, who we later took out together,” Naruto says.

“I met Orochimaru once,” Juugo admits.

“Me too,” Karin replies.

“I sold him my left kidney,” Suigetsu claims.

Now it’s Sasuke and Naruto’s turn to be confused.

“I regulated one of his opium dens for a while,” Karin confesses.

“I used to be an addict,” Juugo tells them.

Naruto makes eye contact with Sasuke, who looks just as shocked.

“I guess we’re not all that different, dattebayo,” Naruto says.

Karin cuffs him around the back of the head.

“Don’t lump us in with murderers like you two. We’re just saying this to show you we’re not judging you for you past,” she tells them.

Naruto rubs the back of his head where she hit him and smiles.

“Thanks,” he replies.

She nods and crosses her arms. Then she stands up.

“I think we should go. See you later, Sasuke,” she says, heading towards the door.

“Yeah,” Suigetsu adds, following her.

Juugo sends both Naruto and Sasuke a smile before he goes with them.

“That was… unexpected,” Sasuke admits.

Naruto laughs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sasuke flies to D.C. and Naruto's friends come over for Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this was a little late! Things have been a little hectic lately... Please forgive me!

At the end of the week, Sasuke flies to D.C. with Naruto. They get to Naruto’s apartment in his Corolla. Naruto was visiting during the first week of his winter break, which happened to begin one week before Sasuke’s. Now, Sasuke is on break, and Naruto has one week left. Sasuke will be spending the next two weeks with him in his apartment.

Naruto has fun taking Sasuke around D.C. around Christmas time. They go see the National Christmas Tree on Christmas Eve. Naruto’s friends, minus Choji who went home for the holidays, decide to surprise him on Christmas morning and knock on his apartment door until he answers in his boxers, covered in hickeys from the night before. His friends freeze when they see him.

“Uh… So, everything’s going well between you and Sasuke, then?” Kiba asks. “Where is he?”

Naruto looks back into his apartment.

“He’s still asleep.”

“Oh, so he’s here,” Hinata realizes.

Naruto smiles slightly and nods.

“Come on in. I’ll go get dressed,” he tells them, stepping away from the door.

His friends file into his apartment and he returns to his bedroom. His friends exchange glances and put their gifts under the tiny fake tree in Naruto’s living room. Naruto looks around his room, settling for sweatpants and a white t-shirt with a red spiral on it. Sasuke grumbles a complaint about him not coming back to bed.

“My friends are here, asshole, get up,” Naruto retorts.

“It’s too early,” Sasuke complains.

“It’s 8:30 bastard, come on,” Naruto tells him, pulling on his arm.

Sasuke groans and buries his face in Naruto’s pillow. Naruto sighs, exasperated.

“You aren’t jet-lagged anymore, you don’t have an excuse, dattebayo!” Naruto complains.

“Leave me alone or climb back in bed,” Sasuke says, turning his head enough to glare at Naruto with one eye.

Naruto groans in frustration and throws his hands up.

“Fifteen seconds, or I run away with the comforter,” Naruto tells him.

“I’ll kill you,” Sasuke threatens, burying his face again.

Naruto starts counting down from 15 and finds a pair of Sasuke’s pants. He stands over his fiance, hesitating. Then he grabs the comforter and pulls it off. Sasuke sits up, eyes flashing red, and glares at him.

“That’s cold, Uzumaki!” he says.

“Yeah, if you want it back, come and get it,” Naruto retorts, wrapping the comforter around himself and chucking Sasuke’s pants at him.

Then Naruto runs, Sasuke swearing behind him and trying to pull on his pants. Naruto runs into the living room, snickering, the comforter flapping behind him. Then he hears a familiar sound of a sword being unsheathed and turns in time to see Sasuke charging from the bedroom door with a katana, eyes red.

“Shit, Sasuke, I’m sorry, take the comforter, shit, shit, fuck,” Naruto says, putting one of his hands up and backing away from Sasuke.

“Give me the comforter back, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke growls, levelling the blade at Naruto.

“Sasuke, you have to get up, it’s Christmas, dattebayo,” Naruto replies.

“I don’t fucking care. I’m tired. Let me go back to sleep, you fucking ray of sunshine.”

“Does that even count as an insult?” Naruto asks.

Sasuke slashes at him and Naruto dodges, the comforter getting slashed slightly, making feathers cascade out of the cut.

“Sasuke think about this,” Naruto tells him.

Sasuke just glares at him, eyes still red.

“I warned you what would happen, usuratonkachi,” he says.

“Bastard, what about our promise?” Naruto replies, slowly backing up towards his kitchen.

“This is for revenge, not profit,” Sasuke claims, slashing again.

Naruto dodges again. He finally gets into the kitchen and pulls open one of the drawers and pulls out a pistol. He raises it at Sasuke and Sasuke stops in the archway to the kitchen. Naruto’s expression is deadly calm. There is a wall between the kitchen and the living room with prevents his friends from seeing what’s going on.

“Bastard, calm down, all I did was get you out of bed,” Naruto says.

“You are the worst fiance ever,” Sasuke hisses. “Who’s about to break the promise now?”

“I told you before, guns are more of an intimidation tactic than a weapon. On three we lower our weapons.”

“One,” Sasuke replies.

“Two,” Naruto adds.

“Three,” they say together, dropping their weapons at the same time.

Sasuke huffs and crosses the room to grab the comforter. Naruto lets him take it.

Sasuke’s eyes return to normal. He wraps the comforter around himself and walks back into the living room. He sets the blade down on Naruto’s coffee table and sits down on the couch while Naruto puts the gun away in the kitchen drawer. Then he walks into the living room and sits down beside his fiance and looks around at his friends.

“What just happened?” Kiba asks.

Naruto chuckles nervously and scratches the back of his neck. Sasuke grunts and rests his head on Naruto’s shoulder, closing his eyes.

“I, um… tried to wake Sasuke back up by stealing the comforter,” Naruto admits.

“Terrible boyfriend,” Sasuke mutters.

“Why did he chase after you with a sword?” Tenten asks.

“And did Sasuke’s eyes turn red?” Hinata adds.

“Um… Sasuke, do you want to tell them?”

“They’re your friends, usuratonkachi,” Sasuke retorts. “I told mine.”

Naruto gulps and looks back at his friends, who are staring at him expectantly.

“It, uh… must’ve been a trick of the light, dattebayo. His eyes, I mean.”

“That doesn’t explain the sword, or the gun,” Neji tells him.

Naruto sighs and stands up.

“Let me go get something,” he mutters, walking back into his bedroom.

He opens the safe in his closet and pulls out the folder he has kept with all of his personal information and contracts in it, along with the signed document with his and Sasuke’s pardon on it. It also has his death certificate, a list of his identities, and some other miscellaneous documents. Then he returns to the living room, sits back down, and tosses the file onto the coffee table beside Sasuke’s katana.

“I’m not who you guys think I am. I’m Naruto Uzumaki, not Namikaze. Everything I’ve already told you so far about who I am is true, except my age. I’m 26. This folder has all the information on every job I’ve ever taken, every identity I’ve used, Sasuke’s and my pardon, my death certificate, and everything else about me,” Naruto says.

Shikamaru hesitantly pulls the folder towards him and opens it, his frown deepening when he starts to look through it.

“About three years ago in Boston, I faked my death and went into hiding with Sasuke Uchiha,” Naruto admits.

“Wait a minute, Uchiha, as in the clan of murderers?” Shikamaru asks, looking up. “Madara Uchiha, the serial killer; Itachi Uchiha, the assassin; Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha, the Japanese special forces agents?”

“Finally, someone besides a fed who knows my heritage,” Sasuke mutters, still leaning on Naruto.

“You mean you’re--”

“Yeah, I’m Sasuke Uchiha,” Sasuke replies, finally looking up and glaring at Shikamaru.

“We met in Boston, as you know. But we weren’t there on vacation,” Naruto tells his friends. “We were both hired by a man named Orochimaru to kill each other. We caught up to each other at a Gala there and made a plan. We faked our deaths and made a run for it. A few weeks later, we killed Orochimaru and quit. Eight months ago, an FBI agent caught up to me and hired us to take out Sasuke’s older brother, Itachi, for the U.S. government. Itachi was dangerous enough that they needed people who knew him, and who were disposable. In return, we were given a full pardon by the Japanese and American presidents. We swore to stop killing people for profit after that. We never wanted to in the first place, dattebayo.”

“What the fuck,” Ino whispers.

“So you used to kill people for money?” Neji summarizes.

“Yes, but believe me, neither of us went into that life by choice. Why do you think we stopped? I can still remember the face of every single person I’ve shot. I hate myself for it,” Naruto admits.

“You had a choice,” Tenten says, looking slightly revolted. “You could have stopped earlier.”

Naruto sighs again.

“I was an orphan. When I was twelve, a man named Jiraiya adopted me and raised me to take over his mercenary gang, now called Akatsuki after a man named Nagato killed him and took over. I was 15 when that happened. At first, I took jobs for them, but then I started doing things my own way. After Sasuke and I took out Orochimaru, we took new identities and went to college so we could do something different. We want to help people and stop hurting them,” Naruto claims.

Sasuke hums and nods.

“You’re murderers,” Lee realizes, eyes wide.

“I only remember two people I’ve killed; Orochimaru and my older brother. My brother started teaching me when I was twelve, the day after he killed our parents for a man named Danzo. I dissociated every other time,” Sasuke states.

“Oh my goodness,” Hinata murmurs, covering her mouth with her hands.

“If you think I had a choice, I’d love to know where it was,” Sasuke spits, glaring at Tenten.

“Now do you understand why I never told you about my past?” Naruto asks his friends, making eye contact with each of them, looking older and more exhausted than any of them ever noticed before.

“I’m sorry,” Tenten says. “That sounds horrible.”

“Even so, the things you must have done can’t just be forgiven,” Ino claims.

“I understand if you don’t like it, but neither do I. You have no idea how many nightmares I’ve had where someone calls me to do another job, or where Akatsuki tracks me down,” Naruto says, looking down at the folder, now open with one of the photos of one of his targets is displayed.

“How can you act like normal people?” Lee asks.

“We’ve both lost everything. Our families, our homes, our lives. All we’ve got left is a hell of alot of PTSD and each other. We’re trying to build something new for ourselves,” Naruto claims, looking up again.

His friends stay silent for a moment.

“Thank you for telling us,” Shikamaru says eventually.

“We might not get it, but I know you’re still the same idiot we’ve all grown to love,” Hinata tells him.

Naruto smiles slightly.

“I’ve known about most of this since that night this FBI agent busted into our dorm room, and he hasn’t changed at all,” Kiba assures the others. “If the president said he’s fine, I believe it.”

“So that’s why you were acting weird,” Shikamaru realizes.

“You do have a point, though,” Neji admits. “All of us have dark parts of our past we don’t want to admit. It takes courage to tell this many people something like that, and I admire that in you, Naruto.”

“Thanks,” Naruto replies. “I don’t know if you really should, though. Something that big is kind of hard to hide your whole life.”

“Harder than being gay,” Sasuke comments with a smirk.

“Bastard, don’t make a joke like that now, dattebayo!” Naruto snaps.

Ino laughs.

“No, it fits,” she says, smiling.

“I’m sorry I jumped to conclusions,” Tenten apologizes.

“Me too,” Ino admits.

“You’ve been a pretty dedicated nursing student,” Kiba says.

Naruto chuckles, remembering all the late nights he’s spent studying.

“Ino, I should introduce you to Sakura sometime. I think you two would get along,” Naruto states, looking at her.

She smiles.

“What does she look like?”

Naruto hums.

Sasuke picks his phone up off the coffee table and pulls up YouTube. He finds the video of the news report from the day after their big stunt and hands it to Ino as the video starts to play. Choji, Lee, Tenten, and Neji look over her shoulder. The others listen in.

_“We have received more information on the recent explosion at warehouse 27 in the Red district. The two bodies found inside are too damaged to check their dental records, but one woman has stepped forward to identify them as the world class assassins, Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha. The Uchiha name is well-known on the black market. No one knows anything about them, and their online presence is nonexistent. Now to Jessica, who is on the scene with the woman who identified them._

_“Thank you John. Ms. Haruno, would you care to tell us your relation to these two men?_

_“I was an undercover FBI agent sent to bring those two into custody. Uchiha invited me to be his date for the annual Konoha Charity Gala, and I knew he had something planned. We had met a few times before, while I was gathering information on him. Uzumaki showed up and I figured the two of them both had a job to eliminate each other. I’m not sure who their bosses were yet, but we’re working on it. Taking Uzumaki’s words from yesterday, ‘Nobody’s untouchable’.”_

The newswoman thanks her and the video ends. Ino hands Sasuke’s phone back and everyone gapes at the two of them.

“She’s a babe,” Ino admits.

Naruto laughs.

“You should have seen her at the Gala,” he says. “She was wearing this red dress, and her eyes are this really pretty green--”

“Oi, I’m right here,” Sasuke pipes up, elbowing him in the side.

Naruto laughs again.

“You were the one who took her to the Gala! Why did you even do that, you thought she was working for Orochimaru, didn’t you?” Naruto asks.

“Yes. Mostly, it was because I didn’t know anyone else who would go with me, and I didn’t want to go alone. Only a loser would do that.”

“Hey!” Naruto balks.

“Besides, I needed someone who could identify us. Whether they worked for Orochimaru or the FBI didn’t matter. And, having her around prevented you from shooting me on the dance floor or something,” Sasuke claims.

Naruto hums. 

“Whatever, let’s just open presents,” Ino suggests.

Sasuke kisses Naruto and apologizes. Naruto begrudgingly says he forgives him.

They are about to start separating gifts when someone knocks on the door. Naruto gets up and looks at Sasuke, who nods and grabs his sword. Naruto opens the door.

“Sai! Why the hell are you here?!” Naruto exclaims.

Sasuke sets the blade down and gets up, leaving the comforter on the couch when he approaches Naruto from behind, setting his hand low on his fiance’s back. He glares at the pale man in the hallway.

“You’d better have a good reason for coming here,” Sasuke growls.

“I was in the area and thought I’d stop by,” Sai says. “My contacts gave me your current address.”

“Who is it?” Kiba asks from the living room.

“His name is Sai. He’s a… an old contact,” Naruto explains.

Sai smiles and waves.

“Sorry to drop by unannounced. I didn’t expect you to have company, Naruto.”

“It’s Christmas,” Naruto tells him.

“It’s what?”

Naruto sighs and says, “Nevermind. Is there something you wanted?”

“Actually, yes. I heard you two came out of hiding and got a full pardon. I was wondering what you did,” Sai admits.

“That’s not any of your business,” Naruto tells him.

“I’m sorry,” Sai replies. “If you’d prefer, I can leave. I just thought you’d like to know that Akatsuki is looking for you.”

“They’re what?” Naruto asks, his eyes widening as panic creeps into his mind.

Sai’s fake smile widens slightly.

“Goodbye, now.”

He starts to walk down the hallway and Naruto calls after him for him to explain himself, but Sai keeps walking. Naruto swears and closes the door. He sits back down on the couch and puts his head in his hands.

“Sasuke, how do I get out of this?” he asks.

Sasuke can’t think of a response.

“So you used to work for this gang Akatsuki,” Shikamaru says. “When you two faked your deaths, they stopped sending you jobs. Now they know you’re still alive, so they’re looking for you. Right?”

Naruto looks up and nods.

“The logical thing would be call the cops, if you really do have a full pardon,” Ino says.

“Just because we’re pardoned doesn’t mean any government official _likes_ us, dattebayo,” Naruto retorts.

“We could call Sakura,” Sasuke suggests.

Naruto looks at him.

“Do you think she would help us?” he asks.

“It’s worth a shot,” Sasuke replies. “Besides, don’t you want to introduce her to Ino?”

“You’re right,” Naruto tells him. “How do we get ahold of her phone number?”

Sasuke hands his phone over again.

“It’s in there. I asked her for it the last time we saw her.”

“You what?”

“Well, she gave it to me. Before she saw us kiss on the tarmac,” Sasuke explains.

Naruto gapes at him.

“We’re _engaged_ you asshole, and you saved her _phone number_?” he asks.

Sasuke looks at him flatly.

“I thought something like this might come up for one of us some day,” he replies. “It’s not like I would have cheated on you.”

Naruto takes the phone but keeps staring at Sasuke.

“You know what? I wish she made us keep those tracking devices. Then I could see every time you went into a whore house.”

“Oi, I’m not like that!” Sasuke retorts. “Not since our first time, anyway.”

He looks away, and Naruto stares at him, unimpressed.

“You are the worst. If I ever catch you cheating, I’ll shoot you. I don’t care if I get caught, but if I do the job right, I won’t. You know I could, dattebayo.”

Naruto unlocks Sasuke’s phone and finds the contact. He saves the number in his phone too.

“It makes me feel a little better that you have her saved as ‘Agent Haruno’,” Naruto admits.

“You two are the weirdest,” Kiba says, shaking his head.

“If I ever caught Neji cheating, you bet he’d be pummeled,” Tenten says.

“The thing you need to understand is we had an agreement. Since we were in a long-distance relationship, we agreed we would let each other sleep with other people until our first time together, which happened last Spring break,” Naruto tells his friends, handing Sasuke’s phone back to him.

Sasuke nods.

“So what, you were both fine knowing the other was sleeping with other people?” Kiba asks.

“Well, more or less,” Naruto replies. “Let me call Sakura. I’m sure she won’t want to talk to me now, but Akatsuki won’t waste a lot of time.”

He stands up and heads into the kitchen, pressing the call button. She answers on the fourth ring.

“Who is this?” she snaps.

“Sakura? It’s Naruto,” he replies.

Nothing. Then, “What happened?”

“Do you know Akatsuki?” he asks.

“Of course. Why?”

“They found out I’m alive, and they’re after me. I don’t know how long I have until they find me. I need your help,” he tells her.

“Why didn’t you just call the police?”

“I don’t think they can really help a former assassin who’s being hunted down by the organization he used to work for, even if they were willing to,” he replies.

She doesn’t respond for a moment.

“Why are you calling me now? You realize it’s not even nine in the morning here, don’t you?”

“I don’t know where you are, but that’s what time it is here. See, the thing is, one of my old contacts just let me know they’re after me. I didn’t really want to wait for them to find me before I told someone who can actually help me,” Naruto says.

He hears the sound of a door shutting on the other line and she lowers her voice.

“Where are you right now?”

“Washington D.C. 2324 41st, apartment 209.”

“Okay. I’ll be there to discuss things in detail in an hour,” she says.

He’s about to tell her he has company, but she hangs up. He wanders back into the living room, stunned slightly.

“She said she’ll be here in an hour. I guess we should get dressed a little nicer, Sasuke.”

Sasuke nods and follows him back into Naruto’s room. Naruto puts on blue jeans, keeping the white shirt on, and pulls on a grey hoodie. Sasuke puts on black skinny jeans, a black tank top, and a dark blue sweater that looks about one size too big. They return to the living room and start exchanging gifts with Naruto’s friends.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sakura's back

Sakura changes into more formal clothes and tells her parents she has a work-related issue. They question her, but all she tells them is that it’s an emergency and she’ll be back as soon as she can. She grabs her coat and leaves her house on 12th Street. She borrows her father’s rental car and drives to the address Naruto gave her. She finds the right door and knocks. He answers it, not as grim as she expected. She can hear voices deeper in the apartment. One person seems to be in a heated argument with another person over the best makeup brand for liquid eyeliner.

“Naruto,” she greets.

“Hey, thanks. My, uh, friends are here. They know what’s going on though, and they know who you are,” he replies. “Come on in. Please take off your shoes, dattebayo.”

He walks back into the living room and sighs when he sees Neji and Ino standing up and glaring at each other as they defend their preferred company.

“Guys,” he prompts. “She’s here.”

His friends quiet down and look behind him. Sakura steps into the room behind him and nods solemnly.

Ino blushes.

“Sasuke,” Sakura greets, making eye contact with him.

He nods respectfully.

She notices the folder and the sword on the coffee table and reaches for the folder. Naruto snaps it shut and sends her a glare.

“This is personal. Not that there’s anything in it you don’t already know, -ttebayo.”

She hums and sits down next to Sasuke, taking Naruto’s seat. He remains standing and crosses his arms.

“So Akatsuki is after you,” Sakura says.

Naruto nods.

“What do they want?”

“Probably me, six feet underground,” he replies.

“Just because you used to work for them?”

“Because I left.”

“Oh. I see. So after faking your deaths, you escaped them. That’s what you meant by ‘freedom’. How did you contact me?”

“Sasuke gave me your phone number,” Naruto explains, sending his fiance a glare.

Sasuke avoids his eye contact, and Sakura notices. She smiles slightly.

“So you two are still dating.”

“Engaged, actually,” Naruto tells her, holding up his right hand.

She whistles.

“Who proposed?”

“I did,” Sasuke answers. “I took him out to dinner and everything but he insisted on taking a fucking selfie the morning after.”

He sends Naruto a glare of his own and Naruto chuckles.

“Less catching up and more planning out how to not let me get killed, please,” Naruto suggests.

“Alright,” Sakura replies. “So how many members are there?”

“We took out Itachi and Orochimaru, so that leaves Nagato, the leader; his sidekicks, Yahiko and Konan; Kisame, who will probably want me dead the most if he found out what happened to Itachi. Then there’s Deidara the pyrotechnics artist, Sasori the puppet master, Hidan the immortal, Kakuzu who is almost as difficult to kill, and Zetsu, who specializes in surveillance,” Naruto lists. “A guy named Tobi joined around the time I left, I think.”

“Wait, Tobi is a name Madara used to use. Not to mention, Zetsu was one of his henchmen and was imprisoned with him. I doubt they’ll be a problem,” Sasuke says.

Naruto nods.

“Nagato and I made an arrangement when he took over, so him, Nagato, and Yahiko won’t come after me either.”

“That leaves Kisame, Hidan, Kakuzu, Deidara, and Sasori,” Sakura lists.

“Right, -ttebayo.”

“I know someone who might be able to help us deal with Sasori, but you’re not going to like it, Agent Haruno,” Sasuke says.

“Who is it?”

“Have you heard the name Gaara?” he asks her.

She startles.

“Gaara, as in the red-haired, almost-nocturnal assassin?”

Sasuke nods slightly.

“You realize I’ll have to take him into custody if we find him.”

“He covers his tracks better than I did. You won’t be able to pin anything on him,” Sasuke tells her.

“I did a job with him once. He was a real jerk, but then again so were you,” Naruto comments. “People change. I’ll give him a chance, -ttebayo.”

“What’s with you and that word?” Sakura asks him.

“It’s a verbal tic. I turn it off on jobs,” he tells her.

“Ah. Okay, so we contact Gaara. Is there anyone else you think can help, or should I call in some more federal agents?” Sakura asks.

“Actually, Shikamaru might be good. He’s majoring in criminal justice. He could help us figure out a strategy,” Naruto suggests, looking over at his friend.

Shikamaru nods.

“It’s a bother, but I’ll help you. My old man was a strategist in World War II,” he says.

Naruto smiles at him.

“I can help too,” Tenten offers. “I can fight pretty well.”

“Me too!” Lee exclaims.

“Thanks guys, but you should let the professionals handle this. I’m not letting Shikamaru near those guys if I can help it,” Naruto tells them. “They’re dangerous. Most of them are better than me. I can’t risk you guys getting hurt.”

“Like we’ll let them kill us,” Tenten scoffs.

Naruto’s sad smile fades into a solemn look and he uncrosses his arms.

“The difference between living and dying can be as simple as who ends up in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you don’t kill your target, someone else is going to come after you later. Life only has value to the people who are connected to the life in question, including the person whose life it is. I am not letting you near them. Any of you. End of discussion,” Naruto claims. “It has nothing to do with my trust in you. I just can’t take that chance, dattebayo. You all matter to me. You have families to miss you.”

“And you don’t?!” Ino exclaims.

“No,” Naruto replies, making eye contact with her.

Ino grits her teeth and balls her fists.

“You idiot. We’re your family,” Tenten growls.

Naruto startles. Then he sets his expression again.

“All the more reason why I can’t let you,” he says.

“But Naruto--!” Hinata starts.

“No. Stop trying to convince me,” he tells her.

“Naruto, you’re not acting like you usually do,” Hinata says nervously.

“I’m not who I usually am,” he replies. “I’m preparing for war. There’s no room for emotions right now.”

Sasuke stands up and puts his hand on Naruto’s shoulder.

“I wonder why things had to turn out like this,” Sasuke sighs.

Naruto looks at him, surprised.

“Tell me more about the Akatsuki members you think are going to come after you,” Sakura prompts.

“Right,” Naruto tells her, “Deidara uses handmade bombs. Kakuzu likes wires and cables. Hidan is difficult to hurt, but he’s strongly religious and sometimes stops to pray in the middle of a fight. He uses a staff with blades attached in a way that maximizes damage. Sasori uses puppets with poisoned weapons hidden inside them. Kisame has a broadsword and he’s the most dangerous. He’s good in close combat and mid-range, so Sasuke would be a better opponent for him. I’m long-range, so I can fight Kakuzu pretty easily. Shikamaru, we’ll need a strategy to deal with Hidan. We’ll contact Gaara to help us deal with Sasori. Sasuke, I think you can handle Deidara better too. Sakura, do you think you can help me get ahold of some new guns?”

“Maybe. I still have to talk to my bosses about any of this,” she replies.

Naruto nods understandingly.

“This is weird. We came over to celebrate Christmas and now we’re sitting around listening to you talk with an FBI agent about the gang of mercenaries you used to work for who are coming after you,” Kiba says.

“It is unusual,” Shino agrees. “Why? Because most people are not friends with former assassins.”

“Hey, you guys can go home if you want to. Shikamaru, you should stick around though,” Naruto says.

“I’ll stay,” Ino assures him.

“Me too,” Lee agrees.

“I have nothing better to do, today,” Kiba claims.

“Me neither,” Shino admits.

Tenten, Neji, and Hinata voice similar agreements.

“Okay. I’ll call Gaara and his team,” Naruto offers, pulling out his phone again and remaining in the living room.

He answers on the third ring.

“Hello?”

“Gaara?”

“Who is this?”

“Naruto Uzumaki.”

“I thought you were dead.”

“Yeah. Sasuke and I faked that and went into hiding for a while. Problem is, now the gang I used to work for is after me,” Naruto says. “So even though I know this is a lot to ask, I need your help.”

“Who else is on your side, and who are we facing?”

“I’ve got Sasuke Uchiha, an FBI agent, and a tactician. We’re up against Akatsuki. I know you have a connection to Sasori, so I figured you could--”

“An FBI agent?”

“Yeah, but don’t worry. She won’t take you in. She’s working with us and she already agreed to calling you,” Naruto says.

“... Alright. What do you need?” Gaara asks.

“Weapons, any kind you can get for us. Kankuro could help us take out Sasori,” Naruto says.

“We’ll try to capture these Akatsuki members alive,” Sakura says. “I understand that may not be possible.”

Naruto conveys the message to Gaara.

“Fine. How close are they to tracking you down?”

“I don’t know,” Naruto responds. “All I know is that they’re after me.”

As Naruto talks with Gaara, Sasuke, and Sakura, Shikamaru gathers information and slowly, they work out a plan. Naruto will act as bait and agree to meet one member in an abandoned and half-burned down church. He says the others will undoubtedly be hanging around, so it’s Sakura, Sasuke, and Gaara’s job to find them and take them down. Sakura will call a SWAT team in to help, and an armored van for them to restrain the members of Akatsuki in once they are captured. Naruto calls Nagato next despite Sakura and Sasuke’s suggestions that he shouldn’t, and talks the plan over with him.

“That sounds great,” Nagato says. “I’ll give them the order to meet with you. This Akatsuki has become something Konan, Yahiko, and I never wanted. It’s time to end this.”

“I’m glad you’re with me. Thanks, Nagato,” Naruto replies.

Sasuke exhales, relieved.

Naruto hangs up and faces his friends again.

“So everyone knows what’s going on?” he asks.

They nod.

“Choji is going to be pissed when he finds out what he missed,” Shikamaru says.

“Or, he doesn’t find out and we just confuse him with a ton of inside jokes,” Ino suggests.

“Assuming I don’t die,” Naruto reminds them, sobering them up immediately.

“This is one hell of a Christmas,” Tenten says.

“No shit,” Ino agrees.

Naruto smiles ruefully and takes Sasuke’s hand.


End file.
